Pokèmon GO: How to Get Shiny Rayquaza

Finally. After years of waiting, he has finally arrived. Not Mewtwo, he showed up a long time ago. No, I’m talking about the truly most important Pokèmon in Pokèmon GO: Shiny Rayquaza. While this Legendary beast has been a part of the game for a while, even returning to raids a few times since he first appeared, it’s never been in shiny form. That changes on July 31st as Armored Mewtwo goes away and Rayquaza returns once again. And you’ll definitely want to participate because this is truly the coolest shiny form in the game. Here’s how to get Shiny Rayquaza in Pokèmon GO.

How to get Shiny Rayquaza

The answer to this question is actually very simple. Participate in as many Rayquaza raids as you possibly can. Raids are the only way to encounter and catch this legendary dragon type Pokèmon, so you’ll want to get with your local groups to find and take on as many as possible. Each raid offers a chance at Shiny Rayquaza, with raids raising the odds of a shiny variant for whatever character you defeat. Of course, to defeat it you need enough trainers and the right Pokèmon.

We’ve previously broken down the best Rayquaza counters in the game, and they haven’t changed much since then really. Check out that article for a full breakdown, but here’s the basics…

Mamoswine – Powder Snow and Avalanche
Weavile – Ice Shard and Avalanche
Mewtwo – Psycho Cut and Ice Beam
Jynx – Frost Breath and Avalanche
Piloswine – Ice Shard and Avalanche
Articuno – Frost Breath and Ice Beam
Cloyster – Frost Breath and Avalanche

You may also want to throw in Glaceon for your team, as long as he has Ice Shard and Avalanche. Once you have a team, make sure you’ve got three or more trainers with solid counters. To be safe, you should probably have at least five high level trainers total but the more you have the easier he is to defeat. Once you take him down you’ll find out if you have encountered a Shiny Rayquaza. If so, feel free to use a Pinap Berry since he is an automatic catch. If not you’ll have to heal up, regroup, and try another raid. But that’s all there is to know about how to get Shiny Rayquaza in Pokèmon GO.